WHY THE CARDINALS WILL WIN: For one thing, the Cardinals figure to have a dramatically better lineup against Boston than they did either of the first two rounds. Allen Craig, who hit .454 with runners in scoring position this season, will be back from his foot injury and will be the kind of impact DH that NL teams don’t normally have. Matt Carpenter was 3-for-30 in his first eight playoff games, but 3-for-8 in the last two, including that epic at-bat against Clayton Kershaw; the Cardinals’ top-of-the-order catalyst all season, he seems to have broken out of his slump. And, Shane Robinson should get at least a couple starts in center replacing Jon Jay, who is 7-for-34 in October and has been shaky in the field. Then there’s the fact that playoff horses Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha are set up to start Games 1, 2, 5 and 6 for Mike Matheny’s club, and the reality that the Cardinals’ bullpen is much, much better than the Detroit bullpen that the Red Sox took advantage of in the ALCS. Boston is a very, very good team and these will all be close games, but the Cardinals have the edge.

WHY THE CARDINALS WILL WIN: St. Louis’ pitchers will face their biggest test of the postseason against the Red Sox’s AL-best offense, but Adam Wainwright (three possible starts) makes that test easier to pass. Don’t count on rookie Michael Wacha (0.43 ERA in 21 innings) continuing his October dominance, but don’t bet against him getting the ball in good shape to St. Louis’ collection of power relievers led by Kevin Siegrist, Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal. The Cards boasted the NL’s best offense this season and they’re expected to have one of their best hitters, Allen Craig, back for Games 1 and 2 at Fenway Park as a DH. That will put more stress on a Boston rotation that experienced ups (Jon Lester, John Lackey) and downs (Jake Peavy, Clay Buchholz) in the ALCS. Boston’s bullpen was lights-out against Detroit, allowing one earned run in 21 innings. That group will need to put together a similar performance to deliver Beantown its third world title in 10 seasons. It’s hard to believe the Cards’ bats will let them do that, however, which is why the pick here is St. Louis earning its third crown in eight seasons and avenging Boston’s curse-ending sweep in 2004.

Justin McGuire, SN MLB editor

THE PICK: Red Sox in seven

WHY THE RED SOX WILL WIN: Hey, look! Each league is sending its best team to the World Series. That's something you don't see too much these days. The Cardinals and Red Sox each are excellent teams with balanced offensive attacks and strong starting rotations. Each won a tough division and each has been impressive in the postseason. That should mean a well-played seven-game World Series full of drama and classic moments. So we'll likely get a sweep instead. In any case, I'm hoping for a seven-game classic, and I'm picking Boston to win it all at Fenway Park on Halloween. The difference? Home field. The Sox play .654 ball in Boston while the Cards are just a little above .500 on the road.

Jesse Spector, SN national baseball writer

THE PICK: Cardinals in four

WHY THE CARDINALS WILL SWEEP: Yadier Molina, the last active Cardinal from the 2004 team that got swept by the Red Sox, gathers his teammates before Game 1 at Fenway Park. It's not difficult to assemble them, because the visitors' locker room is the size of a shoebox, and also because it's always easy for Molina to assemble the Cardinals — he just uses the telepathic brain implant that all Cardinals receive upon their arrival in St. Louis. "This is for the Cardinal Way," Molina explains. "You already know about Marlon Anderson and Kiko Calero, about Matt Morris and Woody Williams, about Cal Eldred. But there was another guy on that team. Mike Matheny. He's the same one who's our manager now." A hush falls over the room. "We do this for him," they say in unison. The Cardinals operate with the machine-like efficieny of the cyborgs that they have become, but each is still, at heart, a man with his own motivation. For Molina, it is revenge. For Adam Wainwright, it's a belief that beards are to be properly groomed and maintained. For Carlos Beltran, it's the last item on a lengthy career to-do list. For Joe Kelly, it's America. For Matt Adams, it's the promise of having a sandwich named after him at his neighborhood deli, a sandwich that he will get to eat free for life. For me, it's about having made a preseason pick that actually has a chance to be correct, and sticking with that. That's why it's Cardinals in four.